This systematic review investigates the validity of screening tools for cognition in adults with hearing loss.
No funding received
Database inception to October 4, 2018
Any study design
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Eighty-one studies investigated 23 cognitive screening tools used to assess cognition in adults with hearing loss. Of these studies, two studies reported on the validity of cognitive screening tools to measure cognition in adults with hearing loss. One study found no difference in scores between the standard Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) and the written MMSE. Another study identified a larger improvement in scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in adults with hearing loss when administered without the delayed recall item as compared to individuals with typical hearing; however, administering the MoCA without the delayed recall item is not validated. Five studies identified cognitive screening tools without auditory components: the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery-Paired Associates Learning (CANTAB-PAL), the Korean Visual Verbal Learning Test, the written MMSE, and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status for Hearing Impaired (RBANS-H). The authors of this review conclude that auditory components of cognitive screening tools may negatively impact scores for adults with hearing loss. No cognitive screening tool has been validated for use with adults with hearing loss.
